Online Coding and Robotics Tournament

In October the Intelitek STEM and CTE Education Foundation (ISCEF) kicks off the 2018 Cyber Robotics Coding Competitions(CRCCs) in 14 states and the District of Columbia. The CRCCs are the first-of-its-kind, free-to-participate, online coding and robotics tournament for students in grades 5–9 that enables schools and districts to engage students in STEM learning by using game-based competitions that are both safe and fun. This year 14 competitions will be held in 13 states, including California, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia. A fifteenth—the US National Open Access competition—will be held virtually for students in schools without a statewide CRCC. Competitors will undertake their lessons (called “missions”) on Intelitek’s CoderZ Cyber Robotics Learning Environment. The online platform has a coding interface where users between fifth and twelfth grade can activate a virtual robot, or “cyber-robot,” and watch the results in a real-time simulation. The 2018 CRCC will be held in three stages. In the first stage, students and educators work on their choice of more than 50 missions to gain or hone knowledge of coding and robotics fundamentals. In the second stage, students work to complete more than 20 missions and earn points for their school’s team. The third round, the finals, is a live, in-person, one-day event in which two student representatives from each school are challenged to complete five, more advanced missions under a time constraint.

Designed by Root Robotics, Root is a fun and easy-to-use educational robot that teaches coding, creativity, and problem-solving skills to students, from prereaders through high school. The robot bumps, hears, moves, draws, scans, climbs, reacts, and sees, helping students learn, play, and explore using their imagination.